Machine for rolling metal



' March 24, 1959 Filed June 3, 1953 F. R. KRAUSE MACHINE FOR ROLLINGMETAL 14 Sheets-Sheet 1 8 :g INVENTOR.

FRANK R. KRAUSE (L5 lrw ATTORNEYS March 24, 1959 F. R. KRAUSE 2,373,697

MACHINE FOR ROLLING METAL Filed Junez, 1953 14 Sheets-Sheet 2 rINVENTOR. FRANK R. KRAUSE ATTORNEYS March 24, 1959 F. R. KRAUSE2,373,697

MACHINE FOR ROLLING METAL Filed June 3, 1953 l4Sheets-Sheet 4 goo 1 $3IN VEN TOR.

K RAUSE FRANK R.

AT TO RNEYS March 24; 1959 F. R. KRAUSE 2,8785697 MACHINE FOR ROLLINGMETAL Filed June s, 195: 14 Sheets-Sheet s T'] 345 v INVENTOR.

FRANK R. KRAUSE 34o 34a 342 344 BY ATTORNEYS F. R. KRAUSE MACHINE FORROLLING METAL March 24, 1959 14 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed June 5. 1953 INVENTOR.

FRANK R. KRAUSE ATTORNEYS.

March 24, 1959 F. R. KRAUSE MACHINE FOR ROLLING METAL Filed June 5, pass7 p R w m m u w s W A E m I m N 9 Dn a m M K M M N W M N 5% QON 0F w wow7 o S QON @Oh wow R March24, 1959 F. R. KRAUSE v MACHINE FORROLLINGVMETAL 14 snags-sheet a Filed'June 3, 1953 ow w EEEEEEF 00? n I.Illlll/II INVENTOR. FRANK R. KRAUSE llll'llIlIIlLl-IIII ATTORNEYS l4Sheets-Sheet 1O Q OWN a J/ S %S A a MW 7/ m N T Q March 24, 1959 F. R.KRAUSE MACHINE FOR ROLLING METAL Filed June s, 1953 mmm ATTORNEYS March24, 1959 F. R. KRAUSE MACHINE FOR ROLLING METAL 14 Sheets-Sheet 12 FiledJu ne 3, 1953 QON in v 05 w March 24, 1959 F. R. KRAUSE MACHINE FORROLLING METAL l4 Sheets-Sheet 13 Filed June 3, 1953 INVENTOR. FRANK R.KRAUSE ATTORNEES March 24, 1959 us 2,878,697

MACHINE FOR ROLLING METAL Filed June 3, 1953 14 Sheets-Sheet 14L.

I4 6 I INVENTOR. Iig-QE FRANK R. KRAUSE ATTORNEYS United States PatentMACHINE FOR ROLLING METAL Frank R. Krause, New Castle, Pa., assignor toThompson Products, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of OhioApplication June 3, 1953, Serial No. 359,304

4 Claims. (CI. 80-26) This invention relates to a machine for rollingmetal,

and more particularly to a new and improved rolling mill type of machineand method described in my prior U.S. Y

patents, Patent No. 2,161,064, issued June 6, 1939, and Patent No.2,223,039, issued November 26, 1940, but constitutes an extensiveimprovment thereover permitting improved and more efficient operation ofthe machine, greater simplicity in its construction, and gerater economyin its construction and operation.

Many advantages are obtained from the capacity of a rolling mill of thetype of the present invention to reduce a workpiece of such character asraw bar stock or like material, the full extent of the desired reductionin a single pass thereof through the mill stand.

In the conventional type of mill, such as the well known four high mill,wherein the workpiece is reduced from its small or pre-reduced end toits large end, the rolls employed are necessarily of. large diameter toobtain a slip angle of suflicient size for the desired draft. Thus, toprevent slippage between the rolls and the work when any reasonablyheavy draft is taken, a large set of rolls must be used. Further,several passes through the rolling mill are necessary to efiect a givenreduction in the workpiece and although general elongation isaccomplished there is accompanied with it extensive spreading of thematerial and therefore extensive waste.

In a mill embody the principles of the present invention all of theabove difliculties and problems are obviated as provision is madetherein for greatly elongating a workpiece without subjecting it tosevere spreading and waste, and the allowable draft is greatly increasedby loading the periphery of the rolls so that the entire diameter of theroll forms one leg of the slip angle. Small rolls with large slip anglesare thereby provided. Since only one pair of rolls is employed nodeleterious efiects due to misaligned or improperly driven sets of rollscan occur.

By the present invention there is provided a new and improved rollingmill for reducing a workpiece to a desired thickness and contour in asingle pass through the rolling mill.

There is also provided by the present invention a new and improvedrolling mill with a single pair of rolls for forming turbine blades fromraw bar stock or like material in a single pass thereof through therolling mill.

Also provided by the present invention is a new and improved rollingmill with an improved mill housing having provision for means to releasecam plates from the rolls on the roll carriage at any position of themill housing and thereby incorporating a new and improved safety measuretherein and quick release mechanism facilitating greater ease in changeof parts.

By the present invention there is also provided a new and improved millhousing driving system permitting ICE greater operator control andsynchronization of the mill movement.

By the present invention there is also provided an improved hydraulicdriving system for the mill housing and thereby for the roll carriagecarrying the single pair of rolls of this improved rolling mill.

The present invention also provides an improved roll carriage with asingle pair of improved rolls which are coordinated with the millhousing and act upon the workpiece to reduce the workpiece to a desiredthickness and contour in a single pass of the workpiece through therolling mill.

The present invention also provides a new and improved aligningmechanism coordinating the action of the rolls on the roll carriage andthe mill housing with each new increment of the workpiece fed into therolling mill.

The present invention further provides an improved aligning mechanismwhich mechanically couples the mill housing and the roll carriagethrough a gear and rack synchronizing system which operates todephasethe rolls from the cam plates of the mill housing and from theworkpiece at the end of each working stroke and to properly phase thesame at the beginning of each working stroke.

There is also provided by the present invention a new and improved indexscrew, one-way feed mechanism which incremently feeds the workpiece tothe rolling stage on each return stroke of the mill housing in a new andimproved manner.

The present invention also provides the new and improved feed tablemechanism with an improved rapid traverse or return system to facilitatequick return of the feed mechanism to its initial position and therebyincrease the productivity of the new and improved rolling mill of thisinvention.

The present invention also provides a new and improved tension tablemechanism hydraulically actuated andcoordinated with the feed tablemechanism to hold the workpiece and retain it under a constant tensionforce.

Thus it will be seen that by the present invention there is provided avastly new and improved rolling mill for rolling turbine blades in asingle pass of raw bar stock .or like material through the rolling mill,the rolling mill being provided with an improved mill housing, and animproved roll carriage coordinated with the improved mill housing by newand improved aligning and coordinating means whereby the mill housingand roll carriage are coordinated with an improved feed table mechanismcooperating with an improved tension table mechanism.

By the present invention there is further provided new and improvedmeans for driving the rolls of the roll carriage whereby a greater thanheretofore possible draft may be taken in the workpiece.

The present invention also provides new and improved rollers for therolling mill whereby turbine blades may be formed with an integral rootthereon.

The present invention also provides new and improved work gripping andtensioning mechanisms for gripping a Work piece with a preformed rootsectionthis work piece to be rolled in a single operation into a turbineblade and for gripping a work piece to be rolled in a single pass into aturbine blade with an integral root base section.

Other and further features of the present invention and modificationswithin the scope thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the artfrom the following description and from the annexed sheets of drawings,illustrating, 'by way of example, preferred embodiments of the presentinvention with numerals of references marked thereon, which form a partof this specification, like reference numerals referring to like partsin the several figures of the drawings which:

Figure 1 illustrates one embodiment of the present invention in brokenfront-side elevation and partially in section;

Figure 2 is a broken plan view, partially in section, of the embodimentillustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a front-side elevational view of the central portion of therolling mill illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 but on a larger scale andalso shown partially in vertical cross section;

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the portion of the rolling millillustrated in Figure 3, and also shown partially in horizontalcross-section with parts omitted for clarity;

Figure 5 is a partial section front end view taken along the line of VVof Figure 4, with selected parts in end elevation and having partsomitted for clarity;

Figure 6 illustrates one form of a pair of rolls that may be used in therolling mill of the present invention;

Figure 7 is a back-side elevational semi-schematic view with parts invertical cross-section of the center portion of the rolling mill of thepresent invention showing the aligning and coordinating mechanism andthe mill housing and roller carriage in the two extreme positionsthereof on the main frame;

Figure 8 is a broken top plan view of the aligning and coordinatingmechanism illustrated in Figure 7 and is partially in section with partsomitted for clarity;

Figure 9 is a broken top plan view of the feed table mechanism at therear portion of the rolling mill illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 withparts omitted for clarity;

Figure 10 is a front side vertical cross-section view taken along theline XX of Figure 9 with parts omitted for clarity;

Figure 11 is a back-end view of the arrangement of the feed tablemechanism, partially in vertical cross-section taken along the lineXI-XI of Figure 10;

Figure 12 is a front end view of the mechanism of the feed tablearrangement, partially in vertical cross-section and taken along theline XII-XII of Figure 10 with parts omitted;

Figure 13 is a front side vertical cross-section of the mill housing anda modified form of roll carriage and work feed gripper clamp;

Figure 14 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line XIVXIV ofFigure 13 and illustrating the lower wedge block adjusting screw andindicator dial mechanism;

Figure 15 is an end elevational view of the adjusting screw andindicator dial mechanism taken along the line XVXV of Figure 14;

Figure 16 is an enlarged front-side elevational view partially invertical cross section and illustrating a modified form of the rollcarriage, roll carriage drive, mill housing and cam plates, andworkpiece gripper and feed mechanism with parts omitted for clarity;

Figure 17 is a top plan view partially in horizontal sectionillustrating the same modification as that shown in Figure 16;

Figure 18 is a partial side elevational view illustrating a modifiedform of rollers for rolling a turbine blade with an integral rootthereon;

Figure 19 illustrates the same modification as that illustrated inFigure 18 but is partially in section and shows the rolls and workpiecein a relatively different position;

Figure 20 is a partial vertical sectional view of the rolls and theworkpiece of Figures 18 and 19 taken along the line XX-XX of Figure 19;

Figure 21 is a schematic illustration of the cam plates and rolls asthey operate upon a work piece;

Figures 22 and 23 illustrate new workpiece end form and the effect ofworking the same by a rolling mill embodying the principles of thepresent invention; and

Figures 24, 25 and 26 illustrate various forms of ma- 4 terial that arolling mill embodying the principles of the present invention isreadily adapted to operate upon.

A rolling mill, indicated generally at 1, Figures 1 and 2, in accordancewith the principles of the present invention, has a mill housing 2, aroll carriage 3, a feed table 4 including a rapid traversing system 5, atension table 6, and an aligning mechanism 7, all cooperatively mountedon a main frame 8 with a coolant tank 9 positioned beneath the workingregion of the rolling mill.

In detail, the main frame 8 is so constructed that a pair oflongitudinal I-beams 801, 802 are supported in parallel by transverseI-beam support members or pedestals 803, 804. The two main I-beams 801,802 are so supported that they present coplanar flat narrow sides at thetop of the frame 8. Secured to the narrow flat sides at the top of theframe, one on each I-beam member, are a pair of channeled track members805, 806 which are symmetrical, parallel and directly opposite eachother on the top of the main frame 8 (channeled track member 806 has across-section which may best be viewed in Figure 5). Secured to the topof each of the channeled track members 805, 806, one on each trackmember, are a pair of track gib bars 807, 808 which together with thechanneled track members form guide tracks slidably engaging andsupporting the mill housing 2 by appropriate means, hereinafterdescribed, secured to the mill housing 2.

As a preferred driving system for the mill housing 2, and as one of theimproved features of the present invention, a pair of synchronized,double acting hydraulic cylinders 809, 810 are secured to the top of themain frame. The foot or rear end of the hydraulic cylinders 809, 810 aresecured to cylinder supporting blocks 811, 812 and the head or frontends of the cylinders are supported on and secured to the track gib bars807, 808, respectively, in such a manner that the cylinders 809, 810 areparallel to each other, to the track members, and to the center line ofthe main frame. The pistons 813, 814 of hydraulic cylinders 809, 810,respectively, extend from the front or head end of the cylinders and aresecured to clevis members 815, 816 which are in turn secured to earmembers 205, 206 on the mill housing 2 by clevis pins 817, 818.

Through this arrangement of the cylinders 809, 810, the pistons, 813,814, the clevis members 815, 816, the clevis pins 817, 818 and the ears205, 206 when the synchronized double acting hydraulic cylinders 809,810 are actuated, the mill housing 2 may be stroked or reciprocatedselectively forward and rearward as it slides in the track provided bythe channel track members 805, 806 and the track gib bars 807, 808 alongthe main frame 8.

The mill housing 2, as best seen in Figures 3, 4 and 5, which illustratea preferred embodiment of this feature of the present invention,constitutes an important improvcment in rolling mills of the type hereindescribed.

This mill housing 2 is framed from top and bottom housing blocks 201,202 which are secured to a pair of side tie plates 203,204. The tieplates 203, 204 carry and have secured thereto ear members 205, 206which engage the clevis pins 817, 818 for driving the mill housing.Track bars 207, 208 fixed on the external lateral surface of each of thetie plates engage the channeled track members 805, 806 and the track gibbars 807, 808 for slidably supporting the mill housing 2. Each of thetrack bars 207, 208 have secured thereto bearing plates 209, 210, 211along the elongated surfaces thereof to provide sliding bearings in thetrack members for the reciprocal mill housing, and are formed preferablyof bearing bronze. (See Figure 5.)

The top housing block 201, and correspondingly the bottom housing block202, has an inclined surface 212 channeled therein. Similarly the bottomhousing block 202 has an inclined surface 213 channeled therein.Forwardly broadening tapered wedge block 214, 215 engages each of theinclined channels 212, 213 in the top and bottom housing blocksrespectively and are so formed and cooperate therewith as to presentsubstantially parallel inner surfaces 216, 217 to the inside of the millhousing 2. Liners 218, 219, serving as bearings for the wedge blocks214, 215, engage the inner parallel surfaces 216, 217 of the wedgeblocks and are held thereagainst in tight engagement. Against theseliners, 218, 219 lie a pair of filler blocks 220, 221, respectively,which have recesses in the side surfaces thereof to provide space forresilient clamping means to clamp the top housing block 201, the topwedge block 214, the top liner 218, and the top filler block 220,together, and to clamp the-bottom housing block 202, the bottom wedge215, the bottom liner 219 and the bottom filler block 221 together.

The clamping means employed to secure together the above describedassemblies in a resilient manner are constituted by sets of clampingbolts 222, 223, 224, 225, extending through holes in the top housingblock 201, and sets of clamping bolts 226, 227 extending through holesin the bottom housing block 202. Outside the mill housing these boltscarry compression springs and adjusting nuts whereby the clamp screwsare biased outwardly from 'the mill housing 2. Inside the mill housingthe clamping screws carry clamping fingers which are preferably pinnedonto the clamping bolt respectively for flexibility of joint andrestraint against rotation of the bolts.

The filler block 220 is so grooved that the clamping bolts or screws223, 224, by the fingerssecured thereon, resiliently clamp together thetop housing block 201, the top wedge block 214 and the top liner 218 onopposite sides thereof, and the clamping screws 222 and 225 resilientlyclamp together the top housing block 201, the top wedge block 214, thetop liner 218 and the top filler block 220 on the same sides thereof astheclamping screws 223 and 224.

Further recesses are provided in the top and bottom filler blocks 2 20,221 whereby a matched pair of roll engaging cam plates are secured tothe inner surfaces of the filler block by such means as, for example,bolts. These cam plates 228, 229 each have a flat side engaging theinner side of the filler block to which it is secured and each has apro-shaped camming surfacewhich engages the rolls on the roll carriageand which corresponds vto the camming surface of the other plate wherebysubstantial symmetry between the two plates is presentedto the rolls onthe roll carriage and thereby to the workpiece to be rolled.

Inside the mill housing 2 and secured to the side tie plates 203, 204are a pair of roll carriage track bars 230, 231 (note particularlyFigure 5). These roll carriage track bars are secured to the tie plates203, 204, respectively approximately midway through the heights of thetie plates, such that they arehorizontal, parallel, and facing intoapproximately the middle of the mill housing 2 presenting parallel upperand lower surfaces to serve as tracks and supports for the roll carriage3 and the single pair of working rolls thereon. As will best be seenfrom Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, the roll carriage track bars 230, 231 mayhave a length greater than the width of the tie plates 203, 204 and mayextend beyond the tie plates both forwardly and rearwardly thereof toprovide positive supports for the roll carriage 3 at each end of eachstroke of the rolling mill.

To provide an adjusting mechanism and a ready release mechanism wherebythe cam plates 228, 229 may be adjusted in elevation or readily releasedfrom the rolls of the roll carriage (best illustrated in Figure 3), amounting bracket 232 and a bracket plate 233 are secured to the centralforward section of the underside of the bottom housing block 202 by anyconvenient means such as, for example, bolts or machine screws. 1Approximately at the forward or leading edge of the bottom housing block202, the mounting bracket 232, which extends forwardly from the millhousing 2,;is bent downwardly so that its upper surface lies in a planesubstantially parallel to the plane of the inclined surface213 of thechannel in the lower housing block 202, note Figures 1 and 3. To thismounting bracket 232, andon the forward portion of the inclined uppersurface thereof, there is secured a hydraulic cylinder 234 of doubleaction character which has a piston 235 that extends rearwardly and iscoupled to an adjusting screw 236 by any convenient means such as acoupling member 237.

An adjustment nut 238 threadedly engages the adjusting screw 236 and isflanged as at 239 to engage the lower rear surface of the wedgeadjusting plate 240 which is secured to the bottom wedge block 215. Anut 241 on the adjusting nut 238 securely clamps the wedge adjustingplate 240 to the adjusting nut 238 between the rear surface of the nut241 and the front surface of the flange 239, thereby securing the wedgeblock 215 to the piston 235 to provide for movement of the lower wedgeblock 215 through actuation of the double acting hydraulic cylinder 234.

This last described wedge adjusting and release mechanism carried on themounting bracket 232 extends for wardly from the mill housing 2 and ismounted to the bottom thereof approximately midway across the width ofthe mill housing so that it will not interfere with any of the structureof the main frame 8 or the tension table 6 as it reciprocates forwardlyand rearwardly with the mill housing 2 which is reciprocated by theaction of the sychronized double acting hydraulic cylinders 809, 810.

Although the upper wedge block 214 does not have a quick release andinsertion mechanism secured thereto, it too is readily adjustable byadjusting means secured thereto. An adjusting screw 242 is secured toand extends forwardly from the top housing block 201, approximatelycentrally of the forward face thereof, substantially parallel to theinclined surface 212 of the channel in the top housing block 201.

A top wedge block adjusting plate 243 is secured to the forward face ofthe wedge block 214 and has a threaded hole therein through which thetop adjusting screw 242 extends. After the desired position of the topwedge is obtained by selected turning of the adjusting screw, furtherundesired displacement is avoided by jamming a locking nut 244 threadedonto the screw 242 against the adjusting plate 243,.

Although not critical to this particular embodiment of this feature ofthe present invention, the adjusting systems here may be provided withindex dials and indicators for precise adjustment, setting and resettingsuch as those hereinafter described and illustrated in Figures 13, 14and 15 in connection with a further embodiment of the instant invention.

The roll carriage 3 which is slidably arranged on the roll carriagetrack bars 230, 231 of the mill housing 2, best viewed in Figures 3, 4and 5, has a pair of carriage side plates 301, 302 spaced apart by andsecured to a carriage end plate 303 which has a central opening 304therein for the passage of a workpiece therethrough. These carriage sideplates 301, 302 are spaced apart a distance slightly less than the spacebetween the tie plates 203, 204 of the mill housing 2 and are channeledas at 305, 306 to receive the carriage track bars 230, 231 and slidablyengage the same. However, L-shaped bearing plates 307, 308 may besecured to the carriage side plate 301 to extend into the channel 305therein to serve as bearings therefor on the roll carriage track bar230. Similarly, L-shaped bearing plates 309, 310 may be secured to theside plate 302, to extend into the channel 306 therein to serve asbearings therefor slidably engaging the track bar 231.

An upper shaft 311 extends between and is journaled at its ends into theupper rear portion of the side plates 301, 302; and a lower shaft 312 isjournaled into and extends between the lower rear of the side plate 301and 302. Pinned onto the upper shaft 311 are a pair of upper forwardlyextending links 313, 314 one being adjacent to eachlcarriage side plate301, 302 respectively; and a pair of lower links 315, 316 are pinnedonto and extend forwardly from the lower shaft 312, one being adjacentto each of the side plates 301, 302 respectively; and a pair of lowerlinks 315, 316 are pinned onto and extend forwardly from the lower shaft312, one being adjacent to each of the side plates 301, 302 andsubstantially coplanar with upper links 313, 314 respectively.

The upper links 313, 314 carry an upper roll shaft 317 near theirforward ends and this upper roll shaft 317 has journaled thereon anupper roll 318 which extends horizontally across the roll carriage 3 andis adapted for working, rolling engagement with a work piece and theupper cam plate 228. Similarly, the lower links 315, 316 carry a lowerroll shaft 319 on which there is journaled a lower working roll 320which rollingly engages the lower cam plate 229 horizontally andparallel to the upper roll 318.

The upper link 313 adjacent the carriage side plate 301 is spring-biasedfrom the lower link 315, coplanar therewith and adjacent to the sideplate 301, by a compression spring 321 which is held in place by aspring pin 322 engaging the forward ends of these two links; identicalspring biasing means including a spring 323 and a pin 324 biases theupper links 314 from the lower links 316 adjacent the carriage sideplate 302.

By being biased apart, by such means as the spring biasing meansimmediately hereinabove described, the rolls 318, 320, are constantlyurged against and into rolling relation with the camming surfaces of thecam plates 228, 229.

The rolls themselves may take any particular desired form such as theflat rolls shown in Figure 5 which may be used to roll such material assheet material or bar stock or they may take the form shown in Figure 6wherein it is shown that they are contoured to impart to the workpiece aproper shape for a turbine blade or they may take the shape shown inFigures 18, 19 and 20 wherein it is illustrated that the rolls may beshaped to form the workpiece of raw bar material into the proper contourfor a turbine blade wherein it is shown that the rolls may be properlycircumferentially formed to roll a root or base integral with theturbine blade, or they may take the form shown in Figure 13 whereby theyare properly contoured to roll a turbine blade with a root or baseportion preformed thereon and integral therewith or they may take a formappropriate to roll a plurality of blades in a single operation eitheras individual blades or in double form as shown in Figure 25. When therolls are formed as in the several latter mentioned examples, thecamming plates 228 and 229 would be channeled to accommodate at leastthe flanged portions of the rolls, note Figure 16. This will be morefully explained and described in the further description of variousother embodiments of the present invention.

As a further feature of the present invention, a new and improvedindexing feeding table mechanism 4 is operably afiixed to andsynchronized with the mill housing 2 of the rolling mill 1. The feedtable mechanism 4, illustrated generally in Figures 1 and 2 may be bestunderstood with reference to Figures 9 through 12. The feed tablemechanism 4 is secured to the main frame 8 on the rear portion of thesame and top thereof. A pair of frame plates 819, 820, best seen inFigure 4, are secured to the top surfaces of the I-beams 801, 802 at thefront end of the feed table 4 immediately behind the rearmost positionof the mill housing 2, and support the front end of the feed tablemechanism. The rear end of the feed table mechanism is supported on across plate 821 which is secured to the top of the I-beams 801, 802 atthe rearmost end thereof, Figures 1 and 2.

A feed table bed 401, which extends substantially the full length of thefeed table mechanism, from the rapid traverse system 5, Figures 1 and 2,to approximately the rearmost position of the mill housing 2, is mountedon and secured to the frame plates 819, 820 and the.

cross-plate 821 such that the feed table bed 401 is positionedapproximately centrally across the width of the main frame 8 and isaligned with the mill housing 2, the roll carriage 3 and the tensiontable 6 and is in operating position with respect thereto. A pair ofsymmetrical feedtable bed track bars 402, 403 each having a channel 404,405 therein, and a feed table track gib bar 406, 407 secured to the topof each thereof, respectively, form .a part of the feed table bed 401and are mounted and secured in opposite facing relation to each other onthe support members 408 forming a substantial portion of the feedtablebed 401.

Each combination of a feed table bed track bar and a gib bar forms achannel track which serves as a track to support and slidably guide agripper carriage 409 having oppositely disposed flanges 410, 411 thereonwhich in turn carry channel bearing members 412, 413, respectively, forslidingly engaging the tracks so formed by the feed .table bed trackbars and gib bars.

An elongated feed screw 414, threaded throughout the major portion ofits length, is journaled in bearings 415, 416 secured to each end of thefeed table bed respectively; these hearings 415, 416 so support the feedscrew 414 that it is rotatable about its longitudinal axis only. Alongitudinal bore 417 in the lower portion of the gripper carriage 409allows the feed screw 414 to pass therethrough; but a transverse bore418 intersecting the longitudinal bore 417 carries a gripper feed nut419 which threadably engages the threads of the feed screw 414 andthereby so interconnects the gripper carriage 409 and the feed screw 414that rotation of the feed screw longitudinally drives the grippercarriage forwardly or rearwardly dependent upon the direction ofrotation of the feed screw.

To properly grip the workpiece so that it will move forwardly when thegripper carriage is moved forwardly through the action of rotation ofthe feed screw 414, the gripper carriage 409 is longitudinallychanneled, as at 426 and carries a lower gripper jaw 427 pinned to thelower face of the channel 426. An upper gripper jaw 428 is carried by agripper jaw screw 429 which is threaded into a vertical bore 430 in theupper portion of the gripper carriage 409; the gripper jaw screw 429 hasa tool receiving outer end for selectively tightening or loosening thejaws 427, 428.

At its forward end the feed screw 414 has an unthreaded .and reducedportion, the rearmost end of which portion is supported and journaled inthe bearing 415 and forwardly thereof successively supports a spur gear420 which is journaled thereon and which is selectively, manuallyengageable or disengageable with one side of an over-running clutch 421.The other side of the one way, overrunning clutch 421 is fixed to thefront end of the unthreaded portion of the feed screw 414. These items.are so arranged that when the spur gear 420 is connected to the saidone side of the overrunning clutch 421 by the action of the clutchhandle 422, which is pivotally supported at its center by an appropriatepivot 423 and has its outer end urged forwardly by spring 424 that ishooked into a bracket 425, rotation of the spur gear in one directionwill, through the coupling of the overrunning clutch 421, drive the feedscrew in that one direction and thereby move the gripper carriageforwardly. Rotation of the spur gear 420 in the opposite direction willbe lost in the overrunning clutch 421 and therefore will not move thefeed screw 414.

To synchronize the operation of the feed table mechanism with thereciprocation of the mill housing and the roll carriage, a tongue 431having a securing plate 432 affixed to the front end thereof is securedcentrally across the rear surface of the lower housing block 202, Figure3. Supported on and secured to a transverse main frame member a tongueguide plate 433 slidably engages and guides the tongue 431longitudinally and serves as a bearing therefor. The tongue 431 has alength slightly greater than the length of the strokeof the mill housing2 plus the distances between the rearmost positions of the mill housing2 and the said transverse main frame member so that at the forward endof the stroke of the mill housing, the rear end of the tongue willremain supported and guided by the tongue guide 433. A channelshaped camtrack roller guide 434 is pivotally secured to the tongue by a pivot pin435 and a bearing plate 436 which latter member lies between the rollerguide 434 and the tongue 431 and about the pivot pin 435. End plates437, 438 are secured to the underside of the channeled cam track rollerguide 434 at the ends thereof extending from the opposite ends thereofand from opposite sides thereof, respectively. These end plates 437, 438have arcuate slots 439, 440, therein which have a radius equal to theirdistance from the pivot pin 435 so that clamping bolts 441, 442extending through the slots and screwed into appropriately threadedholes in the tongue 431 may serve to clamp the cam track roller guide tothe tongue in any desired pivoted position of the roller guide withrespect to the tongue which position is limited only by the length ofthe slots 439, 440, respectively, in the end plates 437, 438. As willhereinafter be described, the angle of the cam track roller guide withrespect to the tongue determines the amount of feed for the workpiece oneach stroke of the mill housing; the greater the angle therebetween thegreater the amount of feed per stroke.

A cam track roller 443 is mounted on and journaled into a slide .bar 444which is laterally reciprocated through the bearings of the rack guideblocks 445, 446 by the action of the cam track roller guide 434 on theroller 443. The slide bar 444 is restrained against a vertical movementby gib blocks 447 secured to the top of the rack guide blocks 445, 446.Secured on the top surface of the slide bar 444 to laterally reciprocatetherewith is a feed table rack 448 which engages the spur gear 420 androtates the same when the rack reciprocates with the slide bar 444through the action of the tongue 431 and the cam track roller guide 434on the roller 443.

At the opposite end of the main frame 8 from the feed table mechanism 4,at the forward end of the main frame 8, a tension table mechanism 6 isconstructed and arranged to cooperate with the feed mechanism 4 to gripthe forward end of the workpiece to hold the same under a constanttension while it is being worked by the rolls of the roll carriage 3 asthe roll carriage 3 is longitudinally reciprocated and actuated by thereciprocation of the mill housing 2. The construction, arrangement andpositioning of the tension table mechanism 6 may be most certainlyobserved .by examination of Figures l and 2.

A tension table frame 601 comprised of a stand of I-beams 602, 603 issecured to and supports a tension table bed 604 which is also secured toand supported by the transverse I-beam 803 of the main frame 8 in such amanner that the longitudinal center line of the tension table 604 liesparallel to and in the same vertical plane as the longitudinalcenterline of the feed table mechanism 4. The tension table bed 604 hasa pair of elongated beam members 605, 606 which are secured to theI-beams 602, 603 through tension table bed support blocks 607, 608 andcarry on their upper surfaces tension gripper track bars 609,- 610. Thetension gripper track bars 609, 610 are channeled along the inwardlyfacing sides thereof to provide tracks for slidably and guideablyengaging the flanges 612, 613 of the tension gripper head 611. Thetension gripper head 611 is recessed at its "rearward end to receive theforward end of the workpiece which is clamped therein between thegripepr clamping screw614 and a lower gripper clamping jaw 615, thegripper clamping'screw 614- being received in the gripper head 611 by avertical threaded bore communicating with the recess.

A hydraulic cylinder 616 preterably'of the double acting type, issecured at its ends 617, 618 to the top of the tension table supportingblock 607, 608 midway between the elongated beam members 605, 606 of thetension table bed 604. A piston 619 which extends from the rearward end618 of the hydraulic cylinder 616 is, at its rearward end, secured tothe tension gripper head 611 so that actuation of the hydraulic cylinder616 will operate on the piston 619 to move the gripper head 611selectively forwardly or rearwardly along the tension gripper track bars609, 610. In actual operation, however, as will be hereinafterdiscussed, the hydraulic cylinder 616 operates upon the piston 619 andthe gripper head 611 primarily in a forward direction to maintain aconstant tension force on the workpiece, the forward end of which isheld in the tension gripper head 611 and the rearward end of which isheld in the feed gripper carriage 409.

To synchronize and coordinate the operation of th mechanism of therolling mill 1 and to insure proper alignment of the roll carriage 3 andthe mill housing 2 with respect to each other and with respect to eachnew increment of the workpiece fed through the mill hous ing 2 and rollcarriage 3 on each return stroke of the mill housing 2 by the feed tablemechanism 4, an aligning mechanism 7 is provided at the back side of therolling mill 1 and the main frame 8 thereof, which may best beunderstood by reference to Figures 7 and 8 and incidentally Figures 2,3, 4 and 5.

A synchronizer shaft 701 is journaled for rotation about itslongitudinal axis in bearings 702, 703 mounted under and secured to theforward portion of the frame plates 819, 820, and carries spur gears704, 705 keyed thereon for rotation therewith. These two spur gears 704,705 are a matched identical pair of the same diameter and same pitch andengage a pair of racks 707, 708, the forward ends of which are securedto the rear side of the lower end portion of the carriage end plate 303of the roll carriage 3, and the rearward ends of which are supported andguided by the rack guide 710 that is secured to and supported on theframe plates 819, 820 and includes rack guide bars 711 and rack guideblocks 712, 713, which are so channeled as to slidably guide and supportthe racks.

Also keyed to the synchronizer shaft 701 for rotation therewith is thethird spur gear 706 which may be constructed in any convenient manner,i.e., either as a solid one piece spur gear or as a spur gear with aseparate hub section and tooth rim which are superimposed and pinnedtogether for rotation together; this latter form of construction isillustrated in Figure 8. The third spur gear 706 is of substantiallylarger diameter (2 1) than the matched identical pair 704, 705 forpurposes which will be hereinafter explained, and engages a synchronizerrack 709, the rear end of which is supported and guided by the rackguide bar 711 and the rack guide block 714 in the same manner that theracks 707, 708 are supported and guided by the rack guide bar 711 andthe rack guide blocks 712, 713 of the rack guide 710. The front end ofthe synchronizer rack 709 has an unmilled portion 715 which is slidablyarranged in and supported by a spring rod bracket 716 which is securedto the side tie plate 204 of the mill housing 2. A spring rod support717 forms a part of the synchronizing rack 709 on the top of that rackat the rear end of the unmilled portion 715 thereof and has alongitudinal bore therein which receives therethrough a spring rod 718,the front end of which is secured to the spring rod bracket 716 so thatthe axis of the spring rod 718 is parallel to the synchronizing rack709. A compression type coil spring 719 is supported on the spring rod718 so that its forward end abuts the rear surface of the spring rodsupport 717 on the synchronizer rack 709; the rear end of the spring 719is adjustably abutted by 11 a spring adjusting nut 720 threaded onto thespring rod 718 from the rear end thereof.

The lower front edge of the synchronizer rack 709 is recessed, as at721, to receive a trigger catching insert 722 secured therein andextending forwardly thereof to provide a forward end which is adapted tocatch and hold a trigger 723.

The trigger 723, preferably having the general configuration af a bellcrank, is pivotally secured to the side tie plate 204 by a pivot bolt orpin 724 immediately forwardly from the lower leading edge of the springrod bracket 716. The upper forward end of the trigger 723 issubstantially hook-shaped to engage and hook onto the trigger catchinginsert 722 in the recess 721 of the synchronizing rack 709 through thecombined operation of a trigger spring 725, one end of which is securedto the lower end of the trigger 723 and the other end of which issecured to a spring bracket 726, thereby urging the hooked end of thetrigger 723 upwardly and rearwardly, and the compression type spring 719which urges the rack 709 and thereby the trigger catching insert 722forwardly into engagement with the hooked end of the trigger 723. Whentrigger catching insert 722 is in forwardly engagement with hooked endof trigger 723, starting synchronization is in effect with properphasing between mill housing 2, roll carriage 3 and the work piece.

A shift arm pivot bracket 727 is also secured to the tie plate 204 atthe rear edge of said tie plate and pivot ally supports a shift arm 728on a shift arm pivot pin 729. The pin 729 may be journaled in bearingmembers 730 which engage the forked rearward end of the shift arm pivotbracket 727.

At its upper end the shift arm 728 has a slot 731 which slidably androtatably engages a shift pin 732 that is secured to the unmilledportion 715 of the synchronizing rack 709. At its lower end the shiftarm 728 has a bore which fixedly receives a bumper 733 which extendsfrom both the forward and rearward faces of the shift arm 728. A pair ofbumper blocks 734, 735 each receiving a plunger 736, 737 and a plungerspring 738, 739 to resiliently urge the plungers 736, 737 outwardly fromthe bumper block 734, 735, are secured to bumper block stands 740, 741respectively, which are secured to and supported on the lower portion ofthe I-beam 802 of the main frame 8. These bumper block assemblies are sopositioned that one will engage the shift arm bumper 733 immediatelyprior to each end of the stroke of the mill housing 2 and the rollcarriage 3 whereby at the end of the forward, working stroke of the millhousing 2 the shift arm bumper 733 will engage the resiliently mountedplunger 736 and at the end of the return stroke of the mill housing 2,the bumper 733 will be engaged by the resiliently mounted plunger 737 ofthe bumper block 735.

A trigger release plate 742 (Figure 5 and the invisible line showing inFigure 7 illustrating the mill housing 2, the roll carriage 3, and thealigning mechanism 7 in the forwardmost position thereof) is keyed intothe lower inwardly extending face of the channeled track member 806 andserves to release the trigger 723 from the trigger catching insert 721near the forward end of the forward, working stroke of the mill housing2 immediately prior to engagement of the bumper 733 with the plunger 736or at the same time thereas.

The operation of the embodiment shown in Figures 1 through 5 and 7through 12, as described above The principles of operation of therolling mill 1 of the present invention are only generally somewhatsimilar to the principles of operation disclosed in my prior patents,Patent No. 2,161,064, issued on June 6, 1939, and Patent No. 2,223,039,issued on November 26, 1940 as the mechanism and mode of operation ofthe new and improved rolling mill of the present invention is animprovement over my prior rolling mills.

With the gripper carriage 409 moved to the rearmost position thereofthrough the operation of the rapid traverse mechanism 5 which consistsof a rapid traverse motor 501 mounted on a traverse motor support 502and coupled to the feed screw 414 through any convenient coupling means503 operating through rotation of the motor 501 to rotate the feed screw414 in such a direction as to move the gripper carriage 409 to itsrearmost possible position or any other preselected position; with thepiston 619 of the double acting hydraulic cylinder 616 extended so thatthe tension gripper 611 is similarly in its rearmost position or anyother preselected position; and with the wedge blocks 214, 215 properlyinserted and adjusted in the mill housing 2 to provide a proper spacingbetween the cam track plates or cam blocks 228, 229 to impart a properfinished thickness to the work piece, the rolling mill 1 is ready to beput into operation.

The rear end of a workpiece such as raw bar stock is inserted into thegripper carriage 409 between the gripper jaws 427 and 428 and thegripper jaw screw is tightened down so that the jaws securely hold therear end of the workpiece. The workpiece may extend to approximately thefront face of the rolling mill 1 which has been brought to its rearmostposition through actuation of the double acting hydraulic cylinders 809,810.

Upon this return of the mill housing 2 to its rearmost position, thebumper 733 engages the plunger 737 of the bumper block assembly mountedon the bumper block stand 741. Slight continued movement of the millhousing 2 in a rearward direction causes the top end of the shift arm tomove in a rearward direction at a rate of approximately 2 to l greaterthan the rearward movement of the mill housing 2. This greater rate ofmovement of the shift arm 728 is transmitted to the synchronizing rack709 through the pin 732 and thence through the racks 707, 708 and thesynchronizing shaft 701, thereby moving the roll carriage rearwardlywith respect to the mill housing 2 whereupon the trigger which hadpreviously been riding beneath the trigger catching insert 722 isallowed to be urged upwardly by the trigger spring 725 to thereby engagethe trigger catching insert 722 in the hooked upper end of the trigger723 and positively properly align the roll carriage with the millhousing and the work piece for synchronized operation. At this timeproper starting alignment will be had between mill housing rollcarriage, and work piece.

Now, beginning the operation of the rolling mill 1, the mill housing 2is forwardly stroked by proper actuation of the synchronized doubleacting hydraulic cylinders 809, 810 and as the mill housing 2 movesforwardly, the roll carriage 3 is also moved forwardly at one halfdisplacement rate, the rolls 318, 320 being in working engagernent withthe cam surfaces of the cam blocks 228, 229 since these rolls are springbiased by compression springs 321, 323.

At the start of the stroke the rolls 318, 320 are in working engagementwith the most forward surfaces of cam blocks 228, 229. These surfaceshave such contour that the resultant opening between the rolls issufficiently great to clear the workpiece (thus allowing freedom forfeeding workpiece thru the rolls). Shortly after the forward stroke isstarted, the rolls are brought into working engagement with theworkpiece by reduction of the roll spacing as caused by the changing camblock contours. By this interelement working engagement and by a properselection of the contour of the cam surfaces of the cam blocks 228, 229,the workpiece is reduced in cross section to a proper thickness and to aproper contour by the rolls as they move forwardly over the work; therolls selectively working the workpiece during the stroke. Note Figure21 illustrating in elevation the cam blocks, rolls and workpiece at thebeginning of the

